New Dual Language Website!

 Come visit and contribute to the New Dual Language Website!

I am looking for your celebratory videos, photos and student work to add to this website.

You will see it is much more expansive and accessible-everything you need is right here.

Please give me feedback if there are additions we can make to the page!

Click HERE to tour the page.  You can also search under the programs tab on the district website.  It is live now!

4th and 5th Grade Language Allocation Plan

This year, 4th and 5th-grade teachers have taken great strides to ensure Bilingual and Biliteracy, and multicultural competency for our Dual Language Learners.  There is a growing commitment at Heyer, Banting, Bethesda, and Hawthorne that bilingualism and biliteracy means “both” Spanish and English in these grades across content areas.    

We know that our program aligns as closely as possible with the research-based outcomes for Dual Language ONLY when we can ensure at least 50% and not less of the instructional day is offered in the partner, minority language-in this case Spanish.  We know, and can confirm from our SDW data, that when we do not offer at least 50:50, our student’s math achievement and their bilingualism dwindles. Teachers are now teaching math in the language of instruction that is the opposite of CLM.  

This means that when teaching ciencias, we are also teaching matemáticas.

Let’s celebrate some of the artifacts from this Trimester One!

Side by Sides

Language Experience Approach

My Thinking 4th Grade:

My Thinking 5th Grade

Keep Teaching the Partner Language

• WE know that some of the materials available have English Labels.  This is OKAY!  See the sample here.  What would you need to do to ensure students both know how to play the game to interact with the math, and use their minoritized language for social/learning purposes?  

Who are the other DL Teachers, you ask?

WEBEX TEAMS have been set up to support Dual Language Teachers by grade level.  Special Education coaches and ESL Teacher Leaders are a member of all grades.  Our DL Teacher who are virtual have a V next to their names.

These teams are a tool so that you are less isolated, more connected, sharing and asking for what you need. Soon, very soon, you all will be masters of COVID teaching and virtual learning.  We really want to band together, support each other.

#juntosmasfuertes

*** Minerva LaLicata has been added to virtual instruction for DL students who have Special needs (updated 9/12/2020)
 

Blackboard: LW Read Aloud with Diverse Accents and New Word Study Virtual Tools

Hi Dual Language Teachers, Hannah has started a spread sheet for you to upload read alouds you might do, as well as those we might ask memebers of our community read. The google sheets link to the resource is located in the COMPREHENSIVE LITERACY BLACKBOARD SITE, and it is located on the left tool bar right after the 8th grade curriculum and before the Dual Language Content Based Paired Biliteracy. Great Idea TEAM!

ALSO, we are offered virtual word sorts for grades 2-4. Located in the grade level as well as under word study in the COMPREHENSIVE LITERACY BLACKBOARD SITE, you can make a copy for yourself and your students to copy and sort away, screen shot and send to you for feedback! Voila!

Comparte tu luz!

Durante las ultimas semanas, hemos confrontando mucha ansiedad con respeto al comienzo de clases. Nos hemos sentido confundidos con la informacion o la falta de informacion que recibimos. Como ya estamos aproximando el comienzo de clases, de la manera que comienzas, estamos mas tranquilos con las decisions ya tomados y por un camino mas derecho (aunque sea solo temporal). Quiero agradecerles a todos. Todos que comprometimos a diario a servir nuestra comunidad, todos que nos miramos en el espejo y nos dicimos "Si, podemos causar aprendizaje en cualquier nino de cualquier modo", "Si, podemos dar a un nino la oportunidad de una educacion equitativa y bilingue-Somos la diferencia", y "Si podemos enlacer nuestras manos en la lucha para apoderarnos todos". La verdad tenemos mucho por celebrar: un conjunto de maestros completos, un equipo de liderazgo a nivel de nuestros edificios y al nivel de distrito que estan listos para apoyar, y tenemos, en nuestros alumnos, la esperanza de un futuro mejor. Para muchos estudiantes, TU eres su luz de cada dia. En este camino, en este comienzo, espero que encuentremos nuestra luz y que la permitimos BRILLAR! Nuestra luz es mas importante que nunca considerando el ambiente politico, cultural, y criminalistica que esta rodeado a nosotros y nuestra comunidad. Es indudable que nuestros estudiantes estan viviendo, oyendo o de otra manera en contacto con los actos mas violentos y no aceptables de nuestra sociedad. El poder mal usado, para oprimar ninos, familias, culturas, etnias y otros, es un tema univeral. Como vamos a usar nuestra luz y energia para encontrar la manera de hablar sobre estas temas tan dificiles, para abrir la puerta a nuestros jovenes para que ellos expresen y comparten sus emociones, ideas, soluciones y mas que todo, su empatia y su dolor. Como usamos nuestra luz para unirnos por la causa. Se que la lucha de abrir escuelas este ano es como ningun otro, pero ademas el mundo nos esta colocando una oportunidad increible, un curriculo en vivo, eventos que nos pueden unir con la oportunidad de imaginar otro mundo, un mundo creado por los jovenes. Que seamos la luz, el guia, el foco que brilla el camino. Les deseo un comienzo del ano escolar, llena de paciencia, tranquilidad, amor, y empatia....y mas de todo, un comienzo llena de LUZ! -D

Getting to Know your Multilingual Students: QUICK USER GUIDE

 “It sounds so simple, but if we as teachers put more effort into who we are teaching, more of the what would take care of itself”

-Katie, Elementary Teacher (Freeman & Freeman)

(Colorin Colorado Link) (Understanding Values/Beliefs by Ethnicity/country Link)

WHO	What to ask?	Who to ask?
Cultural background	Where is my student or his/her family from?  Where else have they lived?  Keep in mind the danger of the “single story”, every family is unique.	Parents/Students: Focus on building trust.  Meet families on their terms-but meet them.  Show you are listening.
Traditions/Hobbies/ Interests	What do you like to read?  What do you like to write/draw about?  What do you like to talk about with friends? What do you like to play? What makes you special, what are you proud of?  What would make you feel that this classroom was a welcoming place?	Parent/Students: Focus on building trust and showing that you are authentically listening and truly interested.
Family circumstances	Who does the student live with?  Who is the family contact? Are their parents, siblings or grandparents who live outside the U.S.? Is the student working?  Does the student have adult responsibilities in the family?	Colleagues: In addition to parents and students, your ESL, Bilingual and some World Language Colleagues may provide insight. The Multilingual Department shares this information with ESL teachers.
Prior academic experiences	Where have they gone to school? What have they enjoyed about school?  How do they like to learn-what has worked well for them as learners?  What has been challenging? Has English language been measured?  What is their level?What type of programming have they experienced-ESL/Bilingual?	Colleagues: In addition to parents and students, your ESL, Bilingual and some World Language Colleagues may provide insight. The Multilingual Department shares this information with ESL teachers. Parents share this information during enrollment.
Bilingualism and Bilingual Literacy	Does the child use more than one language on a daily basis?  In which ways, when?  Does the student read in the home language?  How similar is their home language and literacy to English-what transfers?  Multilingual students have different feelings about their home language that range from pride and confidence, to shame and fear. Link

Screening for EL Teachers

 

WIDA Remote Screener

WIDA Remote Screener is a remotely administered screening tool that supports the identification of English learners in a time of school closures. This assessment is designed specifically to enable screening when the student and test administrator cannot share a physical space.

Get Ready for Testing

1. Learn about the test.

The WIDA Remote Screener Test Administrator Manual and training webinars explain how to give the test and evaluate the student's performance. In addition to reviewing these resources, watch the training videos and read through the test materials below before you administer the test.

Webinars

• K-1 webinar: View Recording
• 2-12 webinar: Thursday, August 6, 1:00 PM Central Time

Training Videos

• K-1 Administration

2. Identify test administrators.

WIDA Remote Screener is designed to be administered by experienced, WIDA-certified test administrators who have previously administered ACCESS for ELLs or WIDA Screener. Experienced test administrators are best positioned to judge the language proficiency of students being screened remotely.

3. Schedule a 30-minute call with the student.

WIDA Remote Screener is to be administered to one student by one test administrator. The student and test administrator are in contact by phone for the full duration of the test administration.

•  Arrange a video call whenever possible. A visual connection through a platform such as FaceTime, Zoom, or Skype can help test administrators maintain student engagement and gather the most information possible about the student's language proficiency.
•  Arrange an interpreter whenever necessary. An interpreter, if permitted by your state and district's testing policies, can minimize any confusion or frustration with this unusual screening process by explaining to the student and any supervising adult what the test is and why the student is taking it. (Interpreters may not translate any test administrator scripting or test items.)

4. Provide test materials to the student.

Students must have access to a hardcopy, printed student packet during screening. Color printing is recommended whenever possible. School, district, and state test coordinators must determine when and how to provide materials to students.

•  Communicate to students and families that the test materials should not be reviewed until the test administrator calls the student to begin the screening. As you determine whether mail, pick-up from a school or district building, or another method of delivering materials to students is best for your situation, keep in mind that reading through the materials in advance might alter the student's performance on the test. In particular, the Reading portion of the grades 2-12 screener is a valid assessment of a student's reading skills only when the student has not had assistance with the multiple choice items and has not practiced the read-aloud activity.

Print & Download Test Materials

• Test Administrator Manual. Test administrators need to read this manual and have it available for reference during the screening. Print this manual if you like, or read the electronic version. This document will be expanded and reposted here when materials for grades 2-12 are published.

• Student Score Sheet. Test administrators can download this document, enter student information, and record a decision on whether the student should be identified as an English language learner. Print only the first page of this document when you administer the K-1 grade-level cluster. Print this document double-sided and complete both pages for grades 2-12 screenings.

• Test Administrator Scripts and Student Packets. Print these materials double-sided. Staple student packets along the left side to create a facing-page booklet.

  Kindergarten-Grade 1	Grades 2-3	Grades 4-5	Grades 6-8	Grades 9-12
  Script	Script	Script	Script	Script
  Student Packet	Student Packet	Student Packet	Student Packet	Student Packet